BJP candidate from the New Delhi assembly constituency, Parvesh Verma, celebrated outside a counting center on February 8, 2025, after claiming victory in the Delhi Assembly polls. His win comes as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) sweeping return to power, ending 26 years of political exile in the national capital.
BJP Set to Oust AAP as Votes Are Counted
As vote counting continues, trends indicate a major setback for the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). While the final results are yet to be announced, BJP leaders have already started celebrating at the party’s Delhi office. Key figures such as Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra, and BJP National Vice President Baijayant Panda gathered for an initial strategy meeting.
BJP has continued its tradition of not announcing a Chief Ministerial candidate before elections. Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva has reiterated that the decision will be taken by the party’s central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Possible Candidates for Delhi Chief Minister
With BJP’s return to power, speculation has begun about who will be chosen as Delhi’s next Chief Minister. Some of the top contenders include:
Parvesh Verma
Parvesh Verma, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, emerged victorious against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency by over 4,000 votes. His win is significant as this seat has historically given Delhi its Chief Minister in the past six elections—three times under Sheila Dikshit (1998, 2003, 2008) and three times under Arvind Kejriwal (2013, 2015, 2020).
Verma previously won two consecutive terms as a Member of Parliament from the West Delhi constituency in 2014 and 2019. He has also served on the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament and the Standing Committee on Urban Development.
Vijender Gupta
Vijender Gupta, the incumbent Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, secured his third consecutive victory from the Rohini constituency, defeating AAP’s Pardeep Mittal by nearly 37,000 votes. A longtime BJP leader, Gupta first made his mark in Delhi politics as a student leader at Delhi University. He has since climbed the ranks, winning municipal elections in Rohini before contesting against Arvind Kejriwal in 2013. Though he lost that race, he later secured Assembly victories in 2015 and 2020.
Kailash Gahlot
Kailash Gahlot, a former AAP Minister who defected to the BJP in 2024, has also emerged as a strong contender. Gahlot, a prominent Jat leader, joined BJP after quitting the Kejriwal government in November 2024. He won the Bijwasan seat, defeating AAP’s Surender Bhardwaj by over 8,000 votes. Gahlot previously served as Delhi’s Transport and Environment Minister under Arvind Kejriwal’s government.
Arvinder Singh Lovely
Former Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely, who switched to BJP in 2024, won the Gandhi Nagar seat against AAP’s Naveen Chaudhary by 12,748 votes. Lovely, a veteran Delhi politician, began his career as a student leader at Delhi University and won multiple Assembly elections from Gandhi Nagar between 1998 and 2013. He was a Cabinet Minister under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. His defection to BJP was fueled by dissatisfaction with the Congress-AAP alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Other Potential Candidates
Manoj Tiwari
North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, a BJP star campaigner, is another possible candidate for Chief Minister. Though he did not contest the Assembly elections, his popularity among Purvanchali voters could benefit BJP in future elections, including the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Virendra Sachdeva
Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva is also in the running for the CM post. He recently made headlines when he was hospitalized after taking a dip in the heavily polluted Yamuna River to protest against AAP’s failure to clean it ahead of Chhath Puja. Sachdeva is the first Punjabi leader to head BJP’s Delhi unit since O.P. Kohli in 2010.
With BJP securing a decisive victory, the party now faces the crucial task of appointing a Chief Minister who can lead Delhi effectively. While celebrations continue, all eyes are on the central leadership as they prepare to announce their choice for Delhi’s new leader.
